July 6th, 2023
By News Report
WASHINGTON, D.C. | Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and Congressman Greg Stanton (D-AZ) have introduced the Canadian Snowbird Visa Act, bipartisan legislation to extend the amount of time Canadians who own or lease a home in the United States can visit by two months.
“Our neighbors to the north provide more visits to the United States than any other country, and they are critically important to North Country tourism and industry,” Stefanik said July 6. “Providing Canadians who own homes and property in the United States with extra time to visit and boost our economy will help revive Canadian tourism to the United States after an unprecedented closure of the Northern Border.”
North Country Chamber of Commerce Garry Douglas said, “Now that the border is back to normal, our Canadian friends are back spending time in the U.S.
“Many spend extended time here. We love having them and the longer they visit, the greater the economic benefit to the U.S. So, we remain strongly supportive of this legislation, and we thank Congresswoman Stefanik for continuing to be its champion in the House.”
Current law limits the amount of time a Canadian visitor may spend in the United States to 182 days per year. The Canadian Snowbird Visa Act will allow Canadian citizens over the age of 50 who either own or rent a residence in the United States to remain in the country for up to 240 days each year. The bill prohibits these individuals from working for United States employers or seeking public assistance while in the United States, and clarifies that they will retain their nonresident tax status.
Canadian visitors provide a substantial economic boost to communities throughout our country, spending over $20 billion in the United States in 2019. In New York, nearly 4 million Canadians visit the Empire State Building a year, spending $1.5 billion.
This legislation is cosponsored by Reps. Bergman (R-MI), Castor (D-FL), Lesko (R-AZ), Foster (D-IL), Carter (R-GA), Quigley (D-IL), Rutherford (R-FL), Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Mast (R-FL), and Schweikert (R-AZ)
Read the article in Sun Community News here.
